


Game Plan

by Maverick



Category: Hit the Floor (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-16
Updated: 2016-02-16
Packaged: 2018-05-21 00:07:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6030883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maverick/pseuds/Maverick
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Another post 3.04 interpretation.  Jude helps Zero figure out what he wants.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Game Plan

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks again to Pollitt for beta. And endless cheerleading. Oh and the title, too.

They had celebrated all night. Zero knew it couldn’t last, knew reality would soon be at their door. But for now, he was sitting opposite Jude on his bed, a spread of breakfast food between them -- Jude’s ‘no food in bed’ rule, be damned. Or rather they were separated by what was left of that spread. Apparently, non-stop sex and life-altering decisions made you ravenous. They’d eaten their way through bacon, eggs and pancakes without a word spoken between them. Zero couldn’t remember food tasting so good. He was pretty sure it was the company.

But clearly Jude had moved out of bliss into business mode a lot quicker than Zero. He had his notebook out and Zero didn’t have the heart to tell him his ‘strategy’ face was totally at odds with his sex hair. He looked over at Zero with such earnest affection that Zero forgot how to swallow.

“What do you want?”

Zero knew Jude wasn’t talking about sex, but Christ if those four words out of Jude’s mouth didn’t go directly to Zero’s dick. But Jude was in agent mode, and Zero would try to respect that. He could almost see the wheels spinning inside Jude’s head. He should have been clued in a long time ago how hard he was falling for Jude when he thought about how damn hot he found that.

Jude just sat there, waiting patiently for Zero’s reply.

“Well I’d like to be captain and league MVP, but this morning, I’m willing to settle for the last piece of toast.”

Jude smiled at him, just this side of indulgent. “I’m serious.”

Zero grabbed the toast in question. “So am I.” He took an exaggerated bite with a crunch.

Jude just waited him out again. He’d always had Zero’s number.

“Hell, man I don’t know.” And Zero really didn’t. He’d taken a leap of faith. He was pretty confident it’d be okay in the end, but he didn’t see a clear path to get there. “I want you in my life. I want to play ball and play it long enough so money’s never an issue. Basketball being my only marketable skill and all.”

Jude shook his head. “You are so wrong about that. When you retire, we’re going to turn you into the best sports agent this country has ever seen.”

Zero couldn’t help but smile at both Jude’s conviction and enthusiasm. “We are?”

“We are. You’re smart and savvy,” Jude leaned over the empty breakfast plates and kissed him. “Lord knows you’re ruthless and determined, and you more than anyone understand how the game is played.”

If Zero didn’t know any better, he’d swear he was blushing at Jude’s assessment of him. He had to nip that in the bud. “I look good in a suit too.”

“True,” Jude said, running his hands across the planes of Zero’s stomach. “And out of one. But right now in this moment what do you want?”

Determined and single-minded was Jude. Qualities he’d find annoying on anyone else. He really did have it bad. Not that it meant he wasn’t going to still mess with Jude a bit. He raised an eyebrow and licked his lips, looking Jude up and down, like he wanted to devour him as another breakfast course.

Jude let out a laugh. “Besides me. I’m a given.”

Zero took a minute to think about it, taking a long sip from Jude’s mug of coffee, having long finished his own. He set the mug down and met Jude’s eyes. “I want a new agent.”

Jude scribbled something on his pad of paper. “You sure? Lucas is good at what he does.”

“This aside.” Zero gestured his hand between them. “Derek’s his number one priority. I want my own agent.”

“That can be arranged.” Jude smiled at him. “What else?”

“I know there has to be a statement to the press and probably an interview or something. But I don’t want Lionel to use this, use _us_ as some kind of dog and pony show to keep the league from selling the team.”

Jude reached out and squeezed Zero’s knee. “You’d think I’d let that happen?”

Zero shook his head. “No, but you asked what I wanted. That’s what I want. I didn’t do it for the publicity.”

“I know you didn’t. And I know what it could cost you. But I’m going to make sure that doesn’t happen. Or better still, we are.”

Even after all the disappointment, Jude still had this sense of optimism about him that Zero really hoped he never lost. This was what was missing with all his other agents. They were working for him but it never seemed like they were working with him. Only Jude ever made him feel that way. “I missed this.”

Jude raised an eyebrow.

Zero met his eyes then looked down. He looked back up, straight at Jude. “For once, I’m not talking about sex. I missed this… scheming with you.”

“Scheming? You make it sound so underhanded.”

”You know how to play the game too and aren’t afraid to get your hands dirty when needed. And you take my ideas seriously. Even when I’m full of shit.”

Jude laughed and moved the platter of dishes to the floor, before pulling Zero to him in a hug that Zero hadn’t known he’d been craving. “Let’s figure this out then. Together.”

Later after they strategized, written down all the ways it could go sideways, and mapped out all the steps it’d take to spin it to their advantage, they celebrated by fucking right on top of all those plans.

After, Jude leaned back against Zero, who was propped up against the headboard. “Did you feel that way when I was working for both you and Derek?”

Zero looked down at him like he’d grown a third eye, both at the lack of segue and the sentiment. “Hell no. I thought I made that clear earlier. You think I buy Porsches for all my agents?”

“I know you don’t. I just…”

Zero couldn’t blame Jude for a moment or two of doubt. They both came by it naturally. “You want to know why I made them promote you?”

Jude nodded.

“Because I knew that you’d always put my interests first. And if it came down to you having to choose Derek or me, you’d have the decency and more importantly the balls to tell me about it first. You wouldn’t simply pick him over me because he’s the star of the moment.”

Jude just looked at him and Zero was glad he was lying down because he felt a little weak in the knees. No one had ever looked at him like Jude did. Like he hung the goddamn moon, even after knowing all his deep, dark secrets or maybe even because of them. It was intoxicating and terrifying in equal measures. It made him want to give Jude a little of that back in kind.

“From the moment you got involved with my trade, you told me you were Team Zero and I knew you meant it.”

Jude cupped Zero’s jaw in his hand. “I still am, you know. Always have been.”

Well it didn’t feel that way when Jude had walked away as his agent. The petty part of Zero slipped out, wanting to see if Jude could take it. “Even when you broke up with me?”

It was Jude’s turn to look like Zero had gone insane. But then he must have read something in Zero’s expression because he took Zero’s hand in his and threaded their fingers together, and squeezed. He looked him in the eye, a sad smile on his face. “We never broke up remember, you don’t do relationships.”

Zero closed his eyes and then looked right at Jude. “I didn’t do relationships.”

“That’s right you didn’t.” The ‘but now you do,’ hung bright and golden between them. “And yes, even then. Who do you think sent Trojan your way?”

Zero shifted his body so he was facing Jude directly. He didn’t think Jude would ever stop surprising him. “Lucas said they approached him.”

Jude let go of his hand and ran his fingers up Zero’s biceps before settling them on his shoulders. “I’m sure they did, it just happened to be after I planted the seed.” Jude leaned in and nipped at Zero’s jaw. “Bad boys sell way more condoms than choir boys.”

“You were working for me even then?” It wasn’t that Zero didn’t believe him. Hell, the more he thought about it, the more he saw Jude’s little touches in several of his deals.

“Just because I couldn’t be with you or work with you directly, it didn’t matter. I made you a promise to help you recover the deals you lost.”

“But I couldn’t give you what you wanted?”

Jude looked genuinely perplexed by Zero’s question. “What does one have to do with the other?”

And Zero had been so willing to throw this all away. Never realizing what he truly had until he almost lost it for good. He was an idiot. Was, being past tense. He was going to do his best to hold onto this. Hold on to Jude. But he was a realist. “You know, I’m going to fuck up, right?”

Jude just smiled at him. “You think I’m perfect?”

Zero looked like he was contemplating it.

“You’re going to make mistakes. I’m going to make mistakes. And we’re going to have some epic fights, I have no doubt.”

“And even more epic make-up sex?” Zero couldn’t help himself. He didn’t want to think about fights just yet.

“Oh yeah. But don’t you see. We weren’t together, but we still couldn’t stop doing things for each other.”

“I know what you’ve done for me, Zero, and I’m not talking Porsches or grand declarations mid-court. You do think of me first, in your perfect screwed up way. And that’s enough.”

“You think of me first too.”

“Always.”

Zero had to kiss him for that. “Good. We’ve got a solid plan in place. I vote we go back to messing up this bed in the fun way.”

Jude pulled Zero on top of him. “As you said, I’m always willing to entertain your ideas. Sometimes, they’re really good ones.”


End file.
